St. Jarlath’s College has produced a yearly musical known as the Opera for the locals of Tuam since 1944, making it one of the longest continually running amateur shows in Ireland.While debating has a long history in the College, with the original Students’ Debating Society being organised in 1972, it had fallen into decline in recent years. In 2008 however, Jarlath’s teachers Ms Brighid Cannon and Ms Eilis Flanagan helped organise a group of leaving cert students into a small Literary and Debating Society.Read about the Gaisce, Presidents award for Transition Years in St. Jarlaths.Music has forever been an important part of life in Tuam, especially in the schools. Back in the days of boarding in Jarlath’s, student bands were among the most popular extracurricular activities for students away from home, with an often experience being a band practice in the dorms ringing out across the grounds to be heard by the Senior team training below.

Opera

St. Jarlath’s College has produced a yearly musical known as the Opera for the locals of Tuam since 1944, making it one of the longest continually running amateur shows in Ireland. From 1969 onwards, the shows were performed in association with Mercy Convent Tuam, and in 2009 the show (Hot Mikado) was produced in association with St Patrick’s College Tuam in the run up to the amalgamation. This proud tradition is one of the primary sources for the expression of musical and acting talent in the college, and has produced some exceptional talent throughout its long history. The Opera represents a fantastic experience for the students to grow in their artistic talents and appreciate what it takes to put on a fully formed show, as well as being a massive character building exercise; it brings confidence, a keen work ethic and a sense of a job well done to all students involved. The Opera has been very successful in recent years in the Connaught Tribune organised musical awards, winning a Best Overall and a Best Chorus award in 2008 for Hot Mikado.

The current Musical Director is Shane Farrell. He has 2 Operas as musical director under his belt, including one where incredibly he was still a Leaving Cert himself. He has acted as musical director to many different musical productions around Galway County over the last two years, stepping in for his late mentor, the largely irreplaceable Noel Kirrane, who passed away last year.

In recent years, the Opera has been directed by past pupil Ronan Lardner. Respected actor in his own right, he played lead roles during his own time in Jarlath’s, including the role of Judas in the millennium show of Jesus Christ Superstar, which involved a mix of pupils past and present. Since then he’s made his name in other shows around the province (both acting and directing) and brings a wealth of show experience to the position.